The SOC Section deals with a broad range of policy areas including employment and working conditions, social policy and integration, gender equality, disability issues, public health, justice and home affairs (including immigration), and education and training. The section’s activities cover...

This text discusses trends on the Estonian labour market during the years of rapid economic development and the subsequent economic crisis. The aim of the text is to describe changes in the field of employment and unemployment, as well as the problems facing vulnerable groups (young people,...

The present study aims to provide a succinct but comprehensive account that will allow a better understanding of the economic and social impact of the measures implemented in Greece. To this end, the study takes stock of the hitherto implementation of the programme to elucidate its multiple...

Italy's problems are primarily structural; the current government is thus exploring more radical reform programmes, such as labour market reform and liberalisation. Compliance with the measures introduced towards achieving a balanced budget and reducing the public debt is a prerequisite to...

For the European institutions, the "Great Recession" officially began in March 2008, when the word "crisis" first appeared in the Conclusions of the European Council (European Council, March 2008). In the four years since then, the European response to that crisis has not always been the same; an...

On 29 April 2008 the EESC Labour Market Observatory (LMO) organised a hearing on "Women and the labour market". Guest speakers and LMO members together analysed the large number of aspects that hinder women's full participation in the labour market.

Während Umstrukturierung zunehmend als inhärentes Merkmal der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung anerkannt wird und auf europäischer Ebene und in den Mitgliedstaaten viel politische Aufmerksamkeit genießt, wird sie aus regionaler Sicht selten erörtert. Doch die meisten großangelegten...

While restructuring is increasingly acknowledged as an inherent characteristic of economic development and receives substantial policy attention at European and Member State level, the regional perspective on it is rarely discussed. However, most large-scale restructurings affect the regions and...

The European Commission promotes geographical mobility as a strategy to reduce discrepancies between supply and demand in European labour markets. While migration levels are low within and across EU Member States by comparison with other OECD regions, the proportion of EU migrants working in the...